Wednesday Marks 2 Years Since George Floyd's Murder
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Wednesday marks two years since the murder of George Floyd.
Floyd died on May 25, 2020 after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for roughly nine minutes.
Minnesota has made a number of policing changes since the death of Floyd, but on Wednesday President Joe Biden is set to take action at the federal level.
Biden is expected to sign an executive order on federal policing that includes some of the provisions in the George Floyd policing act Congress failed to pass last year.
The order would include changes like establishing a database of officers fired for misconduct. It would also ban chokeholds and include a restriction on no-knock warrants and anti-bias training at the federal level. There are also new standards for use-of-force by an officer and an updated approach to hiring, promoting and retaining officers.
Minneapolis made a number of these changes already following Floyd's murder, including banning chokeholds and neck restraints and requiring officers to report any unauthorized force and intervene to stop it.
Here in Minnesota, a rally will be held outside of the governor's mansion in St. Paul from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Leaders will also be unveiling a George Floyd Square commemorative street sign at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue at 7 p.m. That will be followed by a candlelight vigil at 8 p.m.
Chauvin is serving more than 20 years in prison for murdering Floyd. He has appealed his state conviction, but pleaded guilty in federal court to a civil rights violation.
Earlier this year, a federal jury convicted three other former officers of violating Floyd's civil rights. They have yet to be sentenced in that case.
Last week, Thomas Lane took a plea deal in his state case. He pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter in exchange for dropping the aiding and abetting murder charges against him.
The state trial for J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao is scheduled for next month.